I had such an amazing time at my first Celebration, and I want to capture details before they fade into the mists of memory. The BEST part of attending Celebration Orlando was being in real space with members of my third Internet cult, my fellow Reylo Fanfiction Anthology mods. Going to a con is fun, but going to a con with fans who are as excited as you are? EVEN MORE FUN. ( All four days... with pictures! )

My mom is letting go. Her nurse thinks maybe two days to two weeks. I'm grateful she is here with me because she keeps telling me whenever she wakes up how comfortable she is and how happy she is to be with me. That makes it all worth it.

We think she is going so quickly because she knows she's safe and cared for and she doesn't have to stick around and be strong anymore.

Talk Star Wars with meeeee! I have seen great meta on Tumblr, but it is so hard to discuss and interact and I am just dying to talk. Conversely, anyone know of active bulletin boards/comms/other places for discussion? There is so much it is daunting.

Unless you haven't watched any of the previous movies before TFA, in which case, uh, sorry.

Get caught up already!!!!

I was seven when Mom took me to see Star Wars in its first theatrical release. I remember standing in line, I remember the scroll of words with the opening fanfare, and I especially remember the trash compactor scene and how the princess got to fire the gun. I was in starry-eyed love. My fervor for the series peaked with Empire Strikes Back. OMG IT WAS SO GOOD, it took my breath away. I'd been reading the magazines, the novelizations (there was a great pre-New Hope Han Solo series - I wish I'd kept those books), watched the specials, played with the toys (I had two Princess Leias and a Darth Vader), and the movie made me so excited.

From 10 to 13, when Return of the Jedi came out, I collected the cards like a fiend. Every time I got to the K&B Toy Store at the mall, I'd get my Grandpa to buy me a pack. I remember going to a summer theater camp and learning some basics of stage swordplay from the college-aged Star Wars nerd leading the classes. He was impressed because I knew what "parry" meant. Duh! I knew my way around a light saber fight scene.

The local car dealer had an appearance by "Darth Vader" and I asked to go. I knew that it was just some guy dressed in a Darth Vader costume, but it didn't matter. When I saw that helmet shining and that cape flowing, I trembled like the little awed fangirl I was.

I read Lord of the Rings around sixth grade/age 12, and I fell hard. My heart still beat for Star Wars, though! I was excited for the third movie. Return of the Jedi came out when I was 13. I liked it. But I was let down. Another Death Star? Really? Ewoks? I mean, they were okay, but this 13-yr-old target demographic wasn't bowled over. George Lucas had let me down! (Although the redemption arc that ended in that movie has, OBVIOUSLY, made an impact ALL MY LIFE.)

I was bitter when the special edition Star Wars came out. George Lucas, stop your tinkering. I want to see the movie I remember, not bad Jabba the Hutt CGI! In the last two weeks I've watched the original print of A New Hope and the special edition, and I'm much less bitter (although I still think the Jabba scene is subpar.)

I didn't get excited at all about The Phantom Menace. I'd left Star Wars, my first fandom love, a long time before. But I was willing to give it a chance! Because Star Wars! Oof. It was not a good viewing experience. George Lucas, how could you do that to me? You stomped on my childhood broken heart. I think I saw the other two, but I don't remember a whole lot of them, other than REALLY liking Ewan McGregor as Obi Wan and REALLY wanting to like Anakin and Padme's stories more than I was able to.

So the whole build up to The Force Awakens kind of slid past me. I wasn't going to be let down again. Then I got excited and I went and saw it, and yeah. THE FORCE AWAKENED INSIDE ME!

Help me out, tried and true Star Wars friends. I am aware that some canon has been nullified with this advancement. All of the novels post Return of the Jedi, right? What is canon now? The Clone Wars movie and series is on my Netflix queue - it's still canon, yes? I mean, I'll probably watch it anyway, even if it isn't, but I'm curious. I have the need to do all the readings, just like I did back in the day.

If you sent my mom a get well card earlier this year, you will likely get a happy holidays card from her. I was not going to press cultural sensitivity once she said she wanted to send out lots of cards this year since it might be the last Christmas she gets to do it.

KEEPING IT REAL, MOM.

So if you don't celebrate Christmas, pretend it is a happy new year wish, maybe?

Tomorrow while we wait at the oncologist, I would like to have links to many cute things for my mom to look at. She loves kitties (and Grumpy Cat), Vin Diesel, and pretty much anything adorable. Want to comment with some choice links? We would both appreciate the distraction!